Law enforcement gear up for another Take Back Day

ST. ALBANS, W.Va. — Got unused prescription drugs in your medicine cabinet? This Saturday is the time to get rid of them. It’s a national Prescription Drug Take Back Day sponsored by the DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Here in West Virginia, Take Back sites will be set up all across the state.

West Virginia has taken part in the past seven Take Back Days. They happen once every spring and fall. So far, West Virginians have dropped off 13 tons of pills and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, Booth Goodwin, expects at least another couple ton this Saturday.

“We’re really seeing overall a great outpouring of support and concern from citizens around the state because they recognize how big an issue this is,” according to Goodwin.

Since the program got underway four years ago, Goodwin said they’ve seen more and more prescriptions dropped off during each event. He expected that number to go down as time went on but it continues to climb. He is confident the message of the dangers of unused prescription drug pills just sitting, in a cabinet is getting out to the general public.

“Seventy percent (of abused prescription drugs) come directly out of medicine cabinets from friends and family, especially for first time users,” explained Goodwin.

The U.S. Attorney stressed getting rid of the pills will cut down on first time users and hopefully will have an impact in the number of drug abusers in the future. He said that’s especially important now that the state is starting to see more and more cases of heroine abuse.

“We’re seeing a spike in heroin and the road to heroin goes through prescription drugs,” said Goodwin.

When you drop off those drugs at one of the Take Back sites, they will be disposed of in an environmentally friendly method.

“They are disposed of properly. They’re incinerated. They taken in and they’re burned. Flushing them down the toilet has obvious environmental concerns. Throwing them away, people can pick them back out, of the garbage. We’ve seen that happen,” said Goodwin. “This is obviously the preferred method of disposal.”

To find where those drop off spots are located, log on to dea.gov for a full listing.

Jennifer Smith

Jennifer Smith is a true gold and blue Mountaineer. She is a graduate of Fairmont Sr. High and West Virginia University’s Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism.

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Comments

George Douglas

Prescription drugs may be a problem, but the problem we are having in Pinch and Elkview is hard drugs and neither the state police or Kanawha County sheriff's department had done anything to stop it. We have had a drug dealer on Morningside Drive for nearly five years. He has had lines of customers some days, in this middle class neighborhood. He deals in broad day light. He, his girl friend, and another friend were arrested in Ohio on the 19th. Why were the state police in Ohio able to come up with an arrest in a single trip through their state and yet he has been dealing in our community for years and our law enforcement haven't touched him? Jennifer should come to the area and interview people in this community about drugs. We have two other suspected drug dealers within sight of the first one.

April 24, 2014 at 10:22 pm |

taylor collins

Lmao i love those two other comments!!!

April 24, 2014 at 11:08 am |

Dave, Just Dave

You can drop them off at my house and I'll see they get to the right people.

:/

April 24, 2014 at 10:43 am |

taylor collins

Lets hope most people take this in consideration. I'm sickened by all the drug addicts who have no care in the world and their babies and children are dying from overdoses.